Rest assured, these are no ordinary hot dogs. These taste not of plastic or of recycled animal parts but of real, fresh meat – often mixtures of pork and beef – and are thick enough not to get lost in the accompanying bread. By and large, they are sliced horizontally, served on a paper plate, and accompanied with a hunk of sourdough or rye bread and mustard. Order the Kasekrainer for a delectable out-of-the-ordinary treat – a sausage injected with liquid cheese, then sliced so that each mouthful holds a savory cheesy center. Also try the popular Burenwurst sausage, the Bratwurst, or the curry-sausage variety.

Photo by flickr's wilbanks

Wherever you go, you’re bound to have a decent sausage at around the same price. The Schwedensplatz seller is a bit touristy – the area is crowded with fast food joints, and this feels no particular need to keep up with the gourmet market – but across the river is a lovely quieter joint. The one in the Naschmarkt is also highly recommended, and this writer’s favorite is probably the one near the Belvedere Palace complex.

Sachertorte can be had later, along with Beisl-food or haute-restaurant fare. For an inexpensive meal that nevertheless is delicious enough to capture Vienna’s culinary flair, start with the Wurstel.

By Tara Isabella Burton

1) Palaces….in the Middle of the Street
Unlike Versailles, Schloss Schonbrunn does not require a lengthy train ride into the country. A mere ten minutes on the metro, and the landscape suddenly changes from urban sprawl to sprawling palace: once home to Hapsburg royalty, including the notorious Empress Sissi. Belvedere Palace, located in the staid residential district of Landstrasse, is even less rural. Vienna’s remarkable architecture accommodates palaces as a natural part of the city landscape, as expected and unheralded as one of the city’s numerous sausage-selling “Wurstelstands.”

2) The Courtly Bow
Express formality and aristocratic civility are mainstays of the Viennese soldier order. Old men still take off their hats, “Gruss Gott” is still heard in shops in the Nachtmarkt, and the social code still underscores every action. This is not limited to Vienna’s Hapsburg descendants, however – the literal bow has been been witnessed by this writer in the context of a completely different transaction: between two drug dealers carrying out a trade in the notoriously seedy Karlsplatz metro station.

Coffee in Vienna

3) The Wiener Brauner
Nothing is as quintessentially Viennese as this creamy cup of coffee, to be sipped slowly over German-language newspapers and cerebral conversation. Don’t have it alone, however – the full sensation of imperial decadence requires that you accompany your “Wiener Brauner” with one of Vienna’s deliciously rich pastries for more Habsburgian indulgence. The Sachertorte – named for the luxe Hotel Sacher – is a delectable concoction of chocolate and apricot. Cafe Sperl, on the Gumpendorferstrasse, is highly recommended for this sort of lazy afternoon.

4) Nights at the Opera
Whether paying for the deluxe opera boxes or standing or sitting with blocked view on a student fair, elegant nights at the Staatsoper in Vienna are nevertheless eminently democratic: all Viennese dress up for the grand and golden spectacle that is Viennese opera. Standing student tickets and blocked view tickets are available for around ten euro; the former require waiting in line the day of, the latter advanced booking.

5) A Walk Along the Ringstrasse
This “Ring-Street” encircling the imperial Inner Stadt is a perfect place for an evening promenade, where the Viennese stroll around the Stadtpark, Opera House, Museums Quarter, and a variety of Vienna’s most beautiful churches – Vienna retains strong Catholic roots – along with its most elegant hotels. The meandering walk along the Ringstrasse – ideally start north, at the lively Schwedenplatz, and work your way clockwise – is best taken at sunset.

By Tara Isabella Burton

FRIDAY AFTERNOON

Upon your arrival in Vienna, take the time to wander the Innere Stadt, Vienna’s historical center. If you’re hungry, grab a sausage from one of Vienna’s many Wurstelstands. Unlike the thin, tasteless hot dogs of most cities, Vienna’s Wurstels taste more like meat than plastic. The Kasekaner, in which cheese is literally injected into the sausage before it is sliced, is most highly recommended. Take a walk around the Ringstrasse, the road that girdles the central area, for an elegant promenade past the opera house, Stadtpark, Imperial palaces, and more, or turn into the winding streets for a more intimate view. Make sure to stop at Stephansplatz, Vienna’s gorgeous Gothic cathedral.

DINNER: Highly recommended is Zum Roten Elephant (”At the Home of the Red Elephant”) for creative takes on classic Viennese cuisine.

FRIDAY NIGHT

Catch an opera at the Staatsoper on the Ringstrasse. Tickets can be ordered in advance online, with blocked-view and student tickets as low as ten euro, but no matter what row you’re sitting in, take care to dress up: this quintessentially elegant affair means that your clothes shouldn’t look out of place in the building’s nineteenth-century opulence.

SATURDAY MORNING

Museumsquartier - Photo by flickr's Gastev

Head through the Imperial area of the Hofburg. While it’s well worth going inside, today we’re saving time, so continue on to the Museumsquartier, one of Vienna’s trendiest districts. There, see a fantastic Schiele and Klimt collection at the Leopold-Statler and some equally thrilling modern art at MUMOK.

SATURDAY LUNCH

Photo by flickr's magnusfranklin

For lunch, head towards Karslplatz to the Naschmarkt, an array of open-air food stalls and outdoor restaurants with a distinctively Turkish influence. Choose one of many restaurants in the fresh Viennese air and enjoy exotic foods at bargain prices.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON

Take the U4 Metro (Rossaeur direction) to Schonbrunn for an excursion to this beautiful remnant of Habsburg splendor. Visit both the elegant antechambers and intimate bedrooms of Emperor Franz-Josef and the notorious Empress Sissi. The audio tours are informative and lively, and well worth purchasing. If you have children, consider taking them to the adjacent Tiergarten (Zoo), the world’s oldest.

SATURDAY NIGHT

Rathaus - Photo by flickr's charley1965

If you’re there in summer (or around Christmastime) visit the Rathaus. In the summer, there’s a food court for a lovely picnic dinner and projection screen showing everything from opera to old films, while winter hosts a lively Christmas market. If neither of these options is available to you, consider heading to the trendy Mariahilf or Neubau districts for a walk and night on the time – Schnitzelwirt Schmit on Neubaugasse has a reputation for excellent traditional Viennese fare.

SUNDAY MORNING

Karlsplatz - Photo by flickr's roryrory

Take the metro to Karlsplatz and visit the golden-domed Secessionist building near the Naschtmarkt, a museum of the classic nineteenth-century Jungendstil art movement (roughly analogous to the “art nouveau” movement elsewhere) Then head up Getreidemarktgasse to Gumpendorferstrasse, one of the city’s loveliest streets, to Cafe Phil. This retro-chic record store-cum-bar-cum-cafe-cum-bookstore-etc. has free wifi, a sleek white decor, hip clientele, and best of all, a selection of delicious all-day breakfast platters (everything from fruit and yogurt to meat and cheese to all of the above) for super-low prices. Have brunch there and observe the thriving Viennese social scene.

by Tara Isabella Burton